Packing trays.



No. 668,048. Patented Feb. I2, |90l. L. MGCABTHY.

PACKING TRAYS.

(Application Bled Dec. 27, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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SPECIFECAIN forming part of Letters Patent No. 668,048, dated February 12, 1901.

application iiled December 27, 1899*. Serial No. 741,711. (No modelfl To @ZZ 71171/0771, 'Jn/tty] concern:

Be itkno'ivn that l, LCUIS MOCARTHY, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk, State of Massachusette, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in Packing` Trays, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings,

Developer-trays]j so called, which are used by photographers to hold the photographic plates and the developing fluid durinnr the process of developing, are usually made of acid-resisting-composition material `which is somewhat brittle. ln packing them for shipment, therefore, great care must be exercised to prevent breakage. They are usually of flaringv sides, so that they can be nested together; butit isimportant that there be a soft packing' between and around the trays, not only between the inside betteln of each one and the under side of the bottom of the one which sets into it and between the inside Walls ol' each one and the outside Walls of the one which sets into it, but also between the outside projecting; rims of the trays and the bei; in which the trays are packed. Here tofore corrugated paper has usually been einw ployed for the packing, a sheet being placed in the bottom of each tray. This makes a bulky package and also fails to properly proteet the trays at the ends and sides.

The object of my invention is a method by which the trays can be compactly and easily packed so as to wholly protect them by the use of one continuous Wrapper of soft material for a whole nest of trays.

lily invention will new be fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims at the close of the specification.

Figure l is a perspective view in section, showing two trays with a portion of the strip of packing material sinuously Wound around them. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section ofa box lled With trays which have been Wrapped. Fing. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, at right angles with 2.

The bott l should be of such size and shape that the trays 2 .vill snugly lit in the box when wrapped. The packingA material 3 consists of a long' strip or `web of soft material, such cotton batting', out to a Width a little greater than the length or breadth of the trays, depending` on Whether the strip is Wound widthwise or lengthwise of the trays. Preferably it is Wound Widthwise, and therefore the Width of the strip Will be a little in excess of the length of the tray, so that it may cover the inside bottom and walls and preferably lap over the rim. The first or bottom tray is placed on the strip 3 near one end thereof, leavingI a short portion, Which is turned up along! the end of the tray. The long` portion of the strip is turned up over the opposite end and folded back across the inside of the tray and a second tray inserted. The strip of batting' again is brought across, a third tray is inserted, and so ed, the sinuous Winding being continued until the box is full, and then the strip is folded back over the top tray, thence down the sides and underneath the bottoni tray, and back up the op posite side to the top, making,` a band entirely around the bundle of trays and makiupI a double thickness at the ends. It will be seen that the soft packing not only proteets each tray from contact with those above and under it, but it also forms a pad at the sides and protects the outer Walls and rims Vfrom contact with the sides of the box. Even the side of each tray opposite the fold Will be protected not only by the band, which is lformed of the last outside Winding mentioned above, but also the soft and Hui-ly character of the packing,` will cause the folds to spread so as to partially or Wholly cover the unWound rim below or above. The width of the strip being sufficient to extend slightly beyond the rims of the trays at the ends will be turned over, so as to protect the outside of the said rims. Thus the trays are securely and neatly packed and the work can he accomplished much more quickly and With less material than is required when each tray is Wrapped separately. A considerable saving is eected by the fact that the packing-bex l is materially less in size than is required by any method of packing heretofore known to me.

The sinuous winding of the strip around each tray, followed by the winding of the strip entirely around the bundle, binds the trays iirmly together, as well as forms a soft pad for all parts of the trays. This binding feature l consider very important, as it efectually prevents shifting of the trays with rela- IOO tion to each other. Preferably before the cover 4 is put on the box the hollow space above the top tray should be filled with some soft packing.

What I claim isl. A package comprising a box or casing, a series of trays Within the same nested into one another, and a continuous loose strip of soft fibrous cushioning material in successive folds intervening between the successive trays separating each of the latter from the others,and also intervening between the trays and the inner surfaces of the box or casing at the edges of the trays, substantially as described.

2. A package comprising a box or casing,

Witnesses:

WM. A. MAoLEoD, ALICE H. MORRISON. 

